Conan: I've been linked to the tech tree system.

"Kudo-kun is really bad at pretending to be a child. No child can find key clues at a crime scene while saying 'Are-re-re' or 'Oga-shi-so'."

"And more than once."

"I see." Conan, sitting to the side, nodded, feeling that he could start improving his acting skills from this point.

But getting him to refrain from reminding the adults at the crime scene who couldn't find any clues... that's too difficult!

"Then, Tono-kun, do you know why he shrunk?"

"I don't know, and I'm not curious."

Tohno glanced at Kudo Yusaku, who was still unconscious. With his extensive experience in electrocuting people, he figured that since he had deliberately controlled the current flow this time, the man shouldn't be unconscious for so long.

Is it because the previous victims were all trained killers or suspects, while this time it was a writer who was powerless?

It's good though. Let's get out of here before Yusaku Kudo wakes up. After all, he's the pinnacle of deduction in the Conan world. It wouldn't be good if he figured something out.

Thinking this, Toru Tono decisively stood up and bid farewell to the others: "Ms. Kudo, Professor Agasa, since it was a misunderstanding, I'll be leaving now."

Yukiko Kudo also stood up: "Tono-kun, won't you stay and have something to eat?"

She pointed to the food cart still in the center of the room, which had enough food for four people and a child.

"No need, just apologize to Kudo-senpai for me." Tohno declined Yukiko's offer, said goodbye to the others again, and then left the room.

The wooden hotel door slowly closed, making a metallic "click" sound.

"Shin-chan..." After the outsiders left, Yukiko Kudo walked slowly toward Conan, who was sitting on the sofa, with a powerful stride.

"Wait, wait, wait! You were the ones who tried to scare me first... I was just acting in self-defense!"

"Then why did you keep your foot on Dad's leg and not move it away!"

"I didn't know at the time... Wait, don't do it! Let me explain!"

Inside room 301, chaos erupted.

......

For Tohru Tohno, Conan's inexplicable identity reveal was just an amusing little episode; he still had many things to do today.

Driving the Wuling Sunshine van with its tires slipping, I returned to the villa, used my fully upgraded skills to create another invention, and while waiting for the cooldown to complete, I attached eye-catching notes to the books I borrowed from the library, then categorized and stuffed them into the bookshelves.

Then he nestled in a recliner in the corner of the lab, picked up a beautifully bound book, removed the bookmarks from between the pages, and continued studying Richard Dawkins' *The Selfish Gene*, which he had only read a little of that morning.

Although knowledge of biochemistry may not seem to offer much practical help for invention and creation today, a broad range of knowledge can always help inspire creative ideas. Therefore, Toru Tono did not limit himself to books on physics and chemistry; instead, he read a variety of books and acquired a wide range of knowledge.

In my spare time, I read books. Once the cooldown of my [Advanced Modification] skill is over, I temporarily leave my comfortable recliner to craft an invention that I've already conceived in my mind, before returning to the recliner that still retains the warmth of my body...

Tohru Tohno didn't leave his lab until Maya Tachibana came in to call him for dinner.

Dinner was Japanese-style and light, but ever since Maya Tachibana learned that he liked Chinese food, she would learn to make some heavily seasoned dishes such as Mapo Tofu to satisfy Tohno Toru's Chinese palate.

Incidentally, because of being "recruited," Tohno Toru no longer publicly sells his inventions on the black market, which makes Tachibana Maya's work much easier.

The Black Organization is very professional, with designated receiving locations and handover personnel. Tachibana Maya only needs to meet with her contact at a specific organization safe house at a specific time each week to successfully complete her work.

Therefore, she had a lot of free time to do part-time jobs, leaving early and returning late every day, occasionally delivering goods, and living a normal life.

Maya Tachibana herself seemed quite satisfied with this, but occasionally when she was holding the cat in the living room and looking out the window at the scenery, a deep sadness would appear between her brows.

Oh right, that mechanical cat that Tohno Toru had gradually perfected to be almost identical to a normal house cat, no longer needed for deliveries, and became Tachibana Maya's pet.

It won't shed, won't have the hassle of dealing with physiological issues, and won't be dirty or have a strange odor.

In a sense, a lifelike robotic cat would actually be quite suitable as a pet—if you can ignore its inner workings.

......

He spends most of his time in the lab, occasionally going out on assignments, using his deduction glasses to solve some cases, as well as the rest that are clearly written in his mental script... His mundane daily life is as bland as water. Only the points credited to his account after solving a case and the ever-increasing numbers in his Swiss bank account can bring Tohno a little comfort.

Besides the Black Organization, the First Investigation Division's budget is also a considerable source of income... Although it's not much compared to other sources, it's still a significant source of funds for Toru Tono, who is currently saving money.

That's right. After accumulating initial capital, Toru Tono felt it was time to start his own technology company.

Although most of the funds transferred by the Black Organization were transferred to him after being laundered through legitimate industries, normal people would not notice anything wrong if he used invention patents to do the accounting.

But most of the people in the Conan world are not normal.

The FBI, CIA, Japanese Public Security Bureau, MI6—they're all sending undercover agents into the Black Organization... Who knows, one day, an ordinary undercover agent might infiltrate the management of some organization's company and, just like any other agent, expose the company's board members' involvement in organized crime...

When the police came and checked the accounts, hey, there was an unexpected find?

If the police notice, I won't be able to collect money so recklessly anymore.

To prevent such a low-probability accident from happening, Toru Tohno didn't squander the money given to him by the Black Organization; he kept most of it as start-up capital for his own company.

They spend all their money at once to start companies, collaborate with enterprises, and ideally expand into overseas markets... The cash flow is so real and fake that the police have nowhere to investigate.

That's safe.

Chapter 64 An Ordinary Bank Teller

Beika Town, Yotsubo Bank.

Tohru Tono took the number he had received, sat down at the counter, and handed the number to the clerk for confirmation.

"Here to deposit money again, Tono-kun." The teller handling the transaction was a sweet-looking woman with a gentle and elegant demeanor. When she smiled, it was like a dragonfly lightly touching the surface of a lake in spring, causing ripples to spread slightly.

The popularity is clearly reflected in the long queues that form here.

However, Tohno Toru has seen many beautiful women, so it's clear that he didn't come to queue up for such a superficial reason.

His gaze slowly shifted from her delicate face to below her neck.

A white identification badge with striking black lettering was pinned to the slightly raised area.

Masami Hirota

This is the whole reason why Toru Tono is willing to wait in line.

"Okay, thank you for your help." Tono moved his X-ray vision away from the nameplate, nodded, and placed the handbag he had just received from Inspector Megure and the passbook he had opened at Yotsubishi Bank on the counter.

The Black Organization conducts all transactions via bank transfer, while the police prefer to use cash... It's like the world is turned upside down.

Perhaps it's because they often appear at crime scenes, making it easier for them to give cash when they run into someone?

Of course, it's more likely that the Metropolitan Police Department is full of old-fashioned men who can't keep up with the times, not only in their thinking but also in their business practices...

When Toru Tono is free, he likes to daydream, which he considers a sign of his quick thinking.

Unfortunately, most of the things he thought about were irrelevant to his current situation.

"Swish, swish, swish"

Bundles of Japanese yen were constantly picked up by her slender, fair hands, passed through the money counting machine, and then stacked into piles, repeating this process over and over again.

The repetitive and boring work was made more enjoyable by the good-looking people doing it, and Tohru Tono finally understood why there were so many people queuing at this particular window.

"Ms. Hirota, are you having a good day?" Toru Tono asked with a hint of curiosity, noticing the smile on Masami Hirota's face.

"Yes, because I made plans to meet my younger sister today," Masami Hirota replied cheerfully. "I've mentioned her to you before, haven't I? She's the younger sister who gets excellent grades."

"I remember." Toru Tono had been to the bank many times and had also talked with Masami Hirota, who had worked there for some time. They chatted about everyday things and had a certain understanding of each other.

“Speaking of which, I remember Tono-kun saying that he was an inventor, right?” Hirota Masami placed the last stack of money on the money counter, her fingertips stained with the scent of ink. “But he’s completely different from my sister. She’s always immersed in her own world because of her studies, and she’s cold to others. I’m worried that she won’t be able to find any friends.”

"If she's Ms. Hirota's sister, she must be very pretty, right? She'll never have trouble finding friends."

"So, if my sister were as articulate as you, I wouldn't worry about her at all." Hirota Masami chuckled, covering her mouth as she put away the counted banknotes and focused her gaze on the computer screen, continuing to process the remaining procedures for Tohno Toru.

"That's a total of five million yen."

“Yes.” Tohru Tohru nodded, confirming the amount.

Masami Hirota operated the computer for a while, then handed the passbook back to Toru Tono with both hands.

“Tono-kun…” She looked up and saw Tono Toru’s smiling profile.

It was past noon, but not yet dusk. The setting sun cast its rays obliquely into the bank's floor-to-ceiling windows, creating golden beams of light with tiny dust particles floating in them.

One of the shadows fell directly on the boy's face, casting a dappled shadow beneath his eyelids.

His eyelashes seemed to be edged with gold in the sunlight, trembling gently with his smile. In his clear, shimmering brown pupils, the reflection of the girl beside him who made him laugh was mirrored.

Masami Hirota paused for a moment, then tapped the table lightly, reminding Toru Tono to take the passbook.

Hearing the "knock knock" sound, Tohno Toru turned his gaze away and gave Hirota Masami an apologetic smile.

The little girl over there mistook the reception hall for an ice rink, and after falling down, she squatted on the ground and wouldn't get up, secretly wiping away her tears. It was so funny that I couldn't help but take a few more glances.

After putting away the passbook, Tono stood up and prepared to walk out of the hall as usual.

"Tono-kun, if you have some free time, would you like to get to know my sister?"

......

On that afternoon, three days before the billion-yen heist, Akemi Miyano thought a lot.

After his parents passed away, he and his younger sister depended on each other for survival. As he grew up, his sister became a beautiful young woman, but at an age when others were enjoying the bloom of youth, he stayed alone in the laboratory, staring blankly at lifeless white mice.

Akemi Miyano felt that she was an incompetent person. She did not have the same intelligence and talent as her sister, nor did she have the courage to face the darkness of the organization. Born into such a family, she could only live a carefree life by relying on the legacy of her parents and even her sister's protection.

She didn't want things to continue like this.

So they made a deal with the devil, knowing full well that a mere 1 billion yen was no way to get the organization to let them go, yet they still clung to naive fantasies and hoped for a miracle.

This is something a foolish woman thought about for a very long time before finally deciding to do.

She had lived a life of helplessness for fifteen years and didn't want to continue for even a second longer.

Even though I know it's just wishful thinking, even though I can see my fate at a glance... so what?

Only by mustering courage and keeping moving forward, until you give everything for your family.

......

So, before that day comes, you need to find your sister a true friend with whom she can truly connect.

When Masami Hirota saw Toru Tono's smile, this thought suddenly popped into her head.

Toru Tono, who is the right age and has a similar job, is the best candidate.

But at the moment of exiting, I felt a little regretful.

Was the question presented too abruptly? Is it possible that Toru Tohno has other matters to attend to? Is the other person's personality truly as he has portrayed during his several deposit visits?